Wedding Questions, Answered!

There are a ton of wedding questions out there, and to be honest, not all of them are worthy of a full blog post.

In some cases, a short paragraph will do.

Because of this, I decided to make my first ever “Wedding Questions” post. In this post, I’m going to go over some questions I’ve seen out there, and provide my honest answers on what I recommend. I’m keeping this first one very basic. The main focus will be wedding questions, geared towards weddings. I’m not doling out advice on family drama, relationships, or anything that may be more intense. We’ll keep this first one light.

Remember, if you are a reader of my blog, you’re welcome to send me any of your questions. The easiest way to reach me is Instagram direct message, or you can leave a comment on any blog post. I’m happy to respond. If you have a big question, that can be turned into a full post, I can explore that, too. All requests are welcome.

Wedding Questions, Answered!

As mentioned above, this post is going to focus on high level wedding questions. Some may be no brainers to you. However, some may be of interest. The questions have been pulled from a variety of sources. These sources include Instagram suggestions, Facebook groups, and google searches for what’s popular. Hopefully they are helpful for someone out there!

Let’s get into it!

WEDDING QUESTION #1: WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO COLLECT GUEST ADDRESSES?

Collecting guest addresses can be a daunting task, and there’s really no easy way to go about it. What it comes down to is to start with a list of names, and work your way down. To help map out the process, I’ll lay out the steps to it:

1. Create a spreadsheet or other electronic system to input addresses. Writing them down on paper can make it difficult to reference or share later on. My preference is Excel, but you choose what works for you.
2. List out all your guest names. Hopefully your guest list is fully vetted and complete. If you’re not sure what I mean by that, reference this post about creating your guest list.
3. Divide and conquer. It may help if you give a section of people to your partner to reach out to. Or your mom. Or future mother-in-law. Whoever can contact these people the easiest should be the one who asks for addresses. Remember to give a deadline to whomever is helping you collect addresses, so they don’t procrastinate.
4. Start contacting people. Text them. Call them. Message them. Just start your way down the list. It may surprise you to see how quickly some people get back to you. Set aside some time for this task, and just do it.
5. Keep contacting until the list is complete. Ta da!

Something additional to keep in mind regarding guest addresses is that if you are for sure inviting someone to your wedding, it’s okay to ask them for their address very early on. Just be sure to make updates to your tracking system if you find out they have moved. Otherwise, start in on this task about a month before you want to start sending anything in the mail (like save the dates or invites).

WEDDING QUESTION #2: HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF MY VENDORS?

Depending on the size of your wedding, you may have quite a few vendors to keep track of. Because money and contracts are involved, it’s important to have a system for storing information about each vendor.

In some cases, you may have a wedding planner or day of coordinator who helps you track your vendors. And, their system may be very robust and foolproof. However, if you don’t have someone else tracking this for you, you need a way to keep it simple.

I suggest you create a document or spreadsheet to organize vendor information. In your document, you’ll want to track the following items:

• Vendor Name
• Service they are providing
• If you have a contract with them
• If they need dinner (and for how many people, if applicable)
• What time they will arrive at the venue
• The name of the contact person
• Phone number
• Email Address
• How much you’ve paid them and when
• Any additional notes, like amount to put aside for a tip (if applicable), or amount still left to pay in the contract

When you have your document created, it’s a best practice to keep it online and accessible in case you’re out and about and need to access a contact quickly. There’s no reason to make things overcomplicated here, but you’ll want to make sure you’re organized to reduce stress and surprises later on. 

WEDDING QUESTION #3: HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD I TAKE OFF WORK FOR MY WEDDING?

At some point, everyone planning a wedding who has a job will have this on her list of wedding questions.

The problem with weddings is that they are this huge event that takes place while everyday life is still going on. You may have a full-time job that you’ll need to take some time away from. In fact, I highly recommend that you do have a break from your job in order to properly prepare and enjoy the days around your wedding. Unless you’re having a super simple courthouse wedding, chances are you’ll need some time away.

The question that seems to always come up is, how much time should you take off? If you’re going on a honeymoon, this answer may be simple, because it will involve your actual travel dates. However, if you’re just getting ready for your wedding, how much time do you need?

TIME OFF BEFORE YOUR WEDDING:

I recommend that you take three to four days off before your wedding. Now, this may depend on how much time off you can get approved from work, and also the day of the week that you’re getting married on.

Let’s assume that you’re getting married on a Saturday or Sunday. I recommend taking Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off from work. This is especially true if you’re leaving for your honeymoon right after your wedding.

Your schedule may look like this:  

• Monday and Tuesday – Wrap up the big items at work so you can put them out of your mind.
• Wednesday – Relax, exercise, go get your nails done, and put together a bag for your honeymoon. It’s also a great day to clean your house so when you come back you have something nice to return to. This is the day that you pack up the items you want to bring to your wedding.
• Thursday – Last minute purchases, communicate the plan to your bridal party if you haven’t already, and re-check that you have everything you want to bring to your wedding properly accounted for.
• Friday – Pack up your car if you’re driving to your wedding, spend with out of town guests, and try to schedule time to yourself.  You may also have your rehearsal and rehearsal dinner this day.

TIME OFF AFTER YOUR WEDDING:

While there are a lot less things you’ll have to take care of after your wedding (see this blog post for details), I still recommend taking two to three days off before returning to work.

The day after your wedding you’ll be able to spend time with out of town guests, perhaps have a post-wedding brunch, and organize all the items that you need to take from your wedding. The following day or so after that are ideal to relax, get organized, and rest before returning to work.

If you’re headed to your honeymoon immediately after your wedding, plan your time off accordingly. You’ll know what will be appropriate and feasible for you.

WEDDING QUESTION #4: DO VENDORS NEED TO EAT?

This is something that may or may not come up last minute, so be prepared. 

Some of your vendors, like your photographer, DJ, and caterer, will be at your wedding for hours on end. During that time, they will definitely get hungry, and as the host, it’s your responsibility to provide a meal. Not only do you want to keep these vendors comfortable, but it’s the right thing to do.

Some vendors may have provisions in their contracts that they are included with the meal count, and for others you’ll have to ask. Make a list of all the vendors who will be present during dinner, and ask them if they need you to request a meal for them. For the most part, you’ll get a YES. This is the sort of thing that you should track in the aforementioned vendor tracker.  

The nice thing is, many venues and caterers have a discounted meal price for vendors as they won’t be served at a table like the regular guests, so their meal shouldn’t break the bank if you’re doing a sit down dinner. The costs should be minimal if you do a buffet, too. It’s best to check with your caterer on the logistics for vendor meals either way.

WEDDING QUESTION #5: I WANT A LONG VEIL, BUT ONLY FOR PHOTOS. IS THAT OKAY?

These days, changing your wedding day look is trending. This means that if you want to have a long veil for just a photo, and then change it out, you have that right. It’s your wedding, your way.

Having a long veil for a short amount of time is a reasonable plan. Long veils get in the way. They are prone to being walked on. They can rip. And, they can get dirty. Plus, veils are expensive. The longer, the pricier. If you are wearing a long veil on your wedding day, you’ll want to keep it as clean and pristine as possible.

Here’s what you do. Put that long veil on at the last possible moment. Take all the photos you need to. Then, take it off. Have a safe place to put it. Give it to someone you trust for safe keeping. And, have a back up look for the rest of your wedding. For some brides, you’ll just forgo having a veil at all. For others, you may want a shorter veil or headpiece to add to your look. Again, your day, your way.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Friends, I hope that this post was able to shed some light on wedding questions that are fairly simple to answer, but important nonetheless. If you have additional questions for me, shoot me a message on Instagram. I’m happy to reply, and even make a blog post out of it. Happy wedding planning!

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